Floor-jack.



G. HUBBARD.

FLOOR JACK.

APPLICATION FILED 0010.21, 1910'.

Patented 0003,1911.

0% AN m\ [N VEN T OR WITNESSES 0. KM I i v COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-.WASHNGTON D c UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HUBBARD, 0F CLARINGTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO FRANKHUMPHREY, OF GLARINGTON, OHIO.

FLOOR-TACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Application filed October 21, 1910. Serial No. 588,266.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, GEORGE IIUBBARD, a citizen of the United. States,residing at Clarington, in the county of Monroe and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor-Jacks, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates broadly to acks, and has particular reference to adevice of this character especially adapted to be employed in forcingplanks into suitable engagement with each other, as is customary in theconstruction of a floor.

An important object of this invention is to provide a jack of the abovecharacter, which may be readily arranged upon a joist to securely gripthe same, and which comprises a movable rack-bar for forcing the planksinto proper engagement with each other.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter, including adjustable gripping means whereby said device maybe employed in connection with different sizes of joists.

A further object of this invention is to provide a jack of the abovecharacter, which is simple in construction, cheap to manu facture, andpositive in its operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent in thecourse of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same, Figure 1 is a side view of the floor jack, Fig. 2 is afragmentary bottom plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is a verticalcross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1 and looking in thedirection of the arrows, and Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a latchemployed to prevent the accidental back movement of the rackbar, and itsassociated members.

In the drawing, wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of myinvention, the numeral 1 designates a fiat body portion or casting,having the rear portion thereof reduced in Width, as shown at 2. Uponthe upper surface of the forward portion of the body portion or casting1 is disposed a housing 3, which is substantially U-shaped incross-section, as shown in Fig. 3. This housing is arrangedlongitudinally of the casting 1, and midway of the longitudinal edges ofthe same, as shown. The housing 3 may preferably be rigidly'secured tothe body portion or casting 1 by means of screws 4: or the like, whichpass through the casting 1 and engage said housing. I do not restrictmyself to this manner of securing the housing 3 to the casting 1, as theformer my be cast integral with the latter, as may be desired. Thehousing 3, being substantially U-shaped in crosssectio11, has an axialopening 5 formed therethrough for receiving a longitudinally movablerack-bar 6, having slidable engagement with the upper surface of thecasting 1, as shown. This rack-bar is provided upon its upper side withratchet teeth 7, as shown. The forward end of the rack-bar 6 carries ahead 8, for engaging a plank 9 or the like, for urging the same intoproper engagement with a plank 10. The reduced portion 2 of the bodyportion or casting, is provided near its rear end with upstanding spacedcars 11, between which is pivotally mounted the lower bifurcated end ofan operating lever 12, by means of a bolt 13 or the like. Disposedbetween the spaced sections 14; of said lower bifurcated end, is one endof a pawl 15, which is pivotally connected with these sections 14; bymeans of a bolt 16 or the like. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, thepawl 15 gravitates into engagement with the ratchet teeth 7. By theconstruction of the above referred to parts, it is obvious that byoscillating the operating lever 12, the rack-bar 6 may be movedforwardly.

The body portion 1 is provided upon its upper surface adjacent theforward end thereof and the forward end of the housing 3, with atransverse housing or casting 17, having an opening formed therethroughin registration with the axial opening 5, for receiving the rack-bar 6.The housing or casting 17 is provided upon its rear side with arectangular vertically disposed recess 18, which is much wider than theaxial opening 5, as shown in Fig. 3. Vertically movably mounted withinthis recess 18', is a latch 19, having the upper portion thereofprovided wit-h a head 20 disposed for operation within a recess 21 whichleads into the recess 18, as shown. The lower end of this latch isbifurcated, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4:- The latch 19 straddlesthe rackbar 6 and engages the ratchet teeth 7 for preventing thebackward movement of the rack-bar 6, when the operating lever isoscillated rearwardly. The latch 19 is normally held in engagement withthe ratchet-teeth 7,

' by a spring 22, which has its inner end bent downwardly, as shown inFig. 4. The inner end of this spring engages a pin 23 which is securedto the central portion of the latch 19, and the outer end of this springis embedded or suitably secured to the material of the housing orcasting 17.

The forward portion of the casting 1 tapers forwardly, as shown, and isprovided upon its lower surface adjacent its longitudinal edges withsubstantially L-shaped tracks or guides 24, the horizontal portions ofwhich extend inwardly, as shown. These tracks or guides may be securedto the casting 1 by any suitable means or may be cast integraltherewith. The space between the tracks or guides 24 is in the shape ofa wedge, as shown in Fig. 2. Longitudinally movably mounted within eachof the tracks or guides 24, is a wedge 25 provided upon its inner sidewith teeth'26, as shown. The inner side of the wedge 25 is parallel withthe longitudinal axis of the body porton or casting 1, and remains insuch parallel relation when moved longitudinally of the track 24 to beadvanced toward or moved away from said longitudinal axis. Each of thewedges 25 is provided centrally thereof with an outwardly extending pinor bolt 27, which is rigidly! connected with the wedge and disposed tooperate within an elongated slot 28 formed longitudinally of the track24:. The outer end of the bolt 27' is screw threaded for receiving athumb-nut 29, whereby the wedge may be clamped in a desired position tothe track 24.

In the use of the ack, the body portion or casting 1 is disposed upon ajoist 80, and the wedges 25 moved longitudinally until they suitablygrip the joist for holding said body portion in locked engagementthere-' with. The thumb-nuts 29 are then rotated to lock the wedges 25to the tracks 24. The adjustable wedges 25 permit of the jack beingrigidly secured upon different sizes of joists. By oscillating theoperating lever 12 the rack-bar 6 is moved forwardly as above described,to engage the plank 9. The latch 19 normally prevents the backward movement of the rack-bar 6, but this latch may be raised to permit of saidbackward movement when it is desired to elfect the disengagement of therack-bar and the plank 9.

I do not restrict myself alone to the use of the jack as above recited,as the same may be employed in a great many different ways.

I wish it understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatcertain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or thescope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

In a floor jack of the character described, a body portion comprising aportion approximately U-shaped in cross-section and a reduced portionextending therefrom, the portion approximately U-shaped in crosssectioncomprising spaced depending tracks substantially L-shaped incross-section, the space between the inner longitudinal walls of saidtracks being in the shape of a wedge, a pair of wedges longitudinallymovably mounted within said tracks to grip a joist, said wedges beingadapted when moved longitudinally within said track to have their innergripping faces remain parallel to the joist, said tracks being providedwit-h longitudinally disposed slots, bolts rigidly connected with saidwedges and disposed to operate within said slot, thumb nuts carried bysaid bolts, a housing disposed longitudinally of and connected with theupper surface of said body port-ion, a rack-bar movably mounted withinsaid housing, an operating lever pivotally mounted upon said bodyportion, a pawl carried by said lever to engage therack-bar, and asecond vertically movable pawl to prevent the back movement of therack-bar.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HUBBARD.

' Witnesses:

S. C. GRIFFITH, M. E. FLAHERTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C.

